The Northeastern Huskies (5-1-1) rallied for two late power play goals to top Bemidji State (1-6-1), 3-2 on Saturday afternoon at UMass Boston's Clark Athletic Center. Junior Kristi Kehoe tied the game with the extra attacker with seven minutes remaining, before senior Annie Hogan pushed home the eventual game-winner only 1:25 later.
Junior Leah Sulyma earned the victory in net for NU, making 32 stops in her first appearance of the season.
Bemidji State came out flying and scored the game's first goal on the power play at 11:30 of the first period. Senior tri-captain Franny Dorr collected the puck off a blocked shot and fired it past Sulyma for her first goal of the season. Dorr was in the right place at the right time as the puck landed on her stick after sophomore Marlee Wheelhouse's shot was blocked at the left point.
Junior Alyssa Wohlfeiler knotted the game at one three minutes later. Junior Lori Antflick initiated the goal by chopping the puck away from a defender and onto the stick of Hogan in the low slot. Hogan promptly delivered a cross-ice pass to Wohlfeiler, who wristed the puck over Bemidji State keeper Alana McElhinney 's glove.
McElhinney stood tall to start the second period, making a huge stop on freshman Casey Pickett in close. On a two-on-one break, Kehoe did a spin-o-rama to avoid the defender, dishing the puck to Pickett on the backhand. McElhinney adjusted perfectly, however, sliding across the crease to gobble up Pickett's one-timer on the doorstep.
Sulyma countered with an enormous save of her own only minutes later, stoning Erin Cody with a right pad save on a breakaway.
Bemidji State kept the Huskies on their heels for much of the period, before finally breaking through for the go-ahead goal. Sophomore Montana Vichorek beat Sulyma from the right point through traffic to give Bemidji State a 2-1 lead at the 15:54 mark of the second stanza. Vichorek's shot clearly surprised Sulyma, who was scrambling to get back in position after making a save in close only seconds before.
Sulyma's play through the first two periods (28 saves on 30 shots) gave her team a chance to come back in the final frame.
A chance was all they needed.
Awarded a power play with 8:30 remaining in the game, the Huskies went to work in the Bemidji State zone. Sophomore Stephanie Gavronsky launched a slap shot from the point that was redirected in by Kehoe with 7:05 showing on the third period clock.
Only 18 seconds later, the Beavers were assessed another penalty, which ultimately proved to be the deciding factor in the game. McElhinney made a save on junior Julia Marty to begin the power play, but Hogan poked home the rebound at the side of the cage for the eventual game-winner. The senior tri-captain threw up her arms joyously after jamming it home and was mobbed by her teammates behind the Bemidji State goal.
The Huskies return to Hockey East action with a pair of games in Vermont on Oct. 30-31.